In 1988, John moved to Guam just after grad school to pursue a career in Japanese business. He dove head first into private-­sector development for tour companies, duty‐free wholesaling, restaurants and luxury retail. Duty Free Shoppers (DFS) hired him as project development manager for financial analyses, feasibility studies and partnership negotiations to extend their tourism-­retail empire at hotels, airports and high­‐end gallerias. John also served as community liaison writing legislation for development impact fees and the creation of the Guam Visitors Bureau research department. He went on to become GVB’s first research manager and was eventually hired by the University of Guam to teach and serve as the first chairman of the Int'l Tourism Department.Since 2004, John’s extensive private sector – government – community – academic collaboration throughout Micronesia evolved into USAID and UN tourism and economic-growth assignments throughout the Pacific-­Asia region and the Middle East in a variety of challenging assignments: Iraq (reopening ancient Babylon to tourism); Afghanistan (advisor to the Kandahar provincial director of economy); Nepal (accessible adventure / luxury fam tours); Mongolia (tourist information centers); Indonesia (tourism association development); Sri Lanka (tourism satellite accounting); and, Timor Leste (Chief of Party). While teaching international tourism in Guam, Arizona and Florida, John chaired many events, mentored local chambers of commerce, conducted practical business research, and served on tourism councils. In early 2019 he was contracted by the UNWTO as the tropical-island tourism-marketing expert to develop strategic international branding concepts for China's Hainan Island to become the Hawai’i of the Orient. After spending the summer in West Virginia developing the heritage-tourism conceptualization for the Gateway to Appalachia Welcome Center, John returned to Hainan as a tourism development lecturer at the Hainan University Arizona State University Int'l Tourism College in Haikou. In 2022, John returned to independent consulting based in Washington, DC, leading USAID agritourism and destination marketing projects in Uzbekistan and Armenia. Working with the International Development Institute, he is currently finalizing a cultural-heritage tourism plan & casino tribal-branding strategy for the Lummi Nation in WA. In 2024, John became the Economic Development & Tourism advisor for the Town of Purcellville, VA focusing on historic main street rejuvenation and attracting boutique-hotel investment.